Dehumidifer Recall Reissued After Fire Reports Jump 200%

Washington, DC (WLTX) -- Dehumidifiers are being recalled after consumers failed to heed the initial recall issued in September of 2013, leading to more fires and property damage by the product.

The Gree dehumidifiers, sold under numerous brand names listed below, can overheat, smoke, and catch fire, placing consumers at great risk for property damage or personal injury.

About 2.5 million units have been sold in the United States and 55,000 in Canada. This recall was first announced in September 2013, updated in October 2013 and expanded in January 2014.

When first recalled, these dehumidifiers had caused approximately $2.15 million in property damages, but has since doubled to more than that, currently at $4.5 million in property damages caused by overheating and fire.

This recall involves dehumidifiers with capacity ranging from 20 to 70 pints, sold under the brand names:

Danby

De'Longhi

Fedders

Fellini

Frigidaire

GE

Gree

Kenmore

Norpole

Premiere

Seabreeze

SoleusAir

SuperClima

The products have been on the market since 2005, having been since removed from all retail outlets in 2013, and were sold at the following retailers:

AAFES

HH Gregg

Home Depot

Kmart

Lowe's

Menards

Mills Fleet Farm

Sam's Club

Sears

Walmart

Also other varied stores nationwide, online at Amazon.com and Ebay.com, all for between $110 and $400.

The dehumidifiers are white, beige, black, or gray, and are between 19 and 24 inches tall, 13-15 inches wide, and 9-11 inches deep. The brand name and the pint capacity are printed on the front of the dehumidifier. The model number and date code are printed on a sticker on the back, front or side of the unit.

The number of reported incidents of overheating dehumidifiers has increased by almost 400%, and the number of reported fires has increased over 200%, from 46 to 121 reported fires caused by the dehumidifiers.

Fire damage caused by one of the dehumidifiers under recall for overheating(Photo: CPSC)

Consumers should immediately turn off and unplug the dehumidifiers, and contact Gree for a full refund.

Contact: Gree toll-free at (866) 853-2802 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.greeusa.com and click on Recall for more information.